What New Research Reveals About Chicago's Homeownership Gap
Chicago thrives when residents feel they can make a home here, put down roots, and invest in their future and their community. In…
Community Development
Spotlights on community issues, the people, and the organizations who contribute to effective philanthropy as well as a stronger Chicago region and world.
Recent
-
-
Chicago’s Next Chapter in Equitable Transit-Oriented Development
Five years ago this June, the City of Chicago adopted a bold vision and framework for equitable transit-oriented development (ETOD). The Chicago Plan…
-
"A Philanthropist Is Anyone Who Shows Up": Claudette Baker on Redefining Giving
For Claudette Baker, philanthropy has meant a lifelong commitment to strengthening communities through her professional work in nonprofit leadership and public service and…
“Community Development” Community Development
-
As 2025 Winds Down...
A Note from Our CEO As 2025 winds down and we gather for holiday celebrations, I’ve been reflecting with friends and colleagues on the challenges…
-
Strengthening Chicago’s Shared Ownership Ecosystem
For generations, Chicago’s neighborhoods have been shaped by the people who call them home. Historically, many communities like Bronzeville, Hyde Park, Little Village, Pilsen, and…
-
Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 22: Reimagining Development Through Shared Ownership
As Chicago neighborhoods continue to expand with newly built businesses and homes, new opportunities emerge for residents to shape their communities. Yet, traditional development often…
-
Neighborhood Development Champions Support a Strong Pipeline of Community-Led Projects
For the Chicago region to thrive, all communities must prosper. Disinvestment in the South and West Sides has limited wealth-building and harmed neighborhood wellbeing. These…
-
We’re Stronger Together
Since joining The Chicago Community Trust three years ago, I’ve been thinking about ways to ensure those most affected by our decisions are part of…
-
A New Era: Urban Growers Collective Opens National Blueprint for Sustainable Agriculture and Economic Revitalization
In Chicago, one in five households currently experiences food insecurity, a challenge that is even more prominent in underinvested South and West Side communities, many…
-
Pre-Development Fund: Helping Communities Realize Their Visions for Thriving Neighborhoods
When I first arrived at The Chicago Community Trust, I was really focused on understanding the place-based factors driving the region’s wealth gap. Recognizing how…
-
Cultivating a Bright Future in Little Village
Little Village, or La Villita, has a long history of welcoming immigrant communities, starting with the German, Czech and Polish residents who flocked here in…
-
Supporting Local Ownership in South Shore
South Shore is deeply proud of its history and legacy as an economically diverse, predominantly Black lakefront community. The area boasts countless amenities such as…
-
Neighborhood Development Champions: Bolstering the Capacity of Community Development Organizations
A Q&A with Edwin Tobar and Mariah Van Ermen The Trust established the Flexible Funding program in 2020 to fund key community development organizations whose…
